The Total Lunar Eclipse of March 13/14, 2025, with Lunar Corona

Photographer: Howard L. Cohen
Summary Author: Howard L. Cohen

Shown above is a composite image of the total lunar eclipse of March 13/14, 2025, illustrating various stages of this eclipse. Notice that the bottom center image shows the end of the eclipse with a bright colored glow around the Moon. This is a lunar corona, produced by mid-level clouds made of water droplets, causing the diffraction of moonlight. Observing this corona about the Moon as the eclipse ended was quite unexpected. Actually, during the end phase of the eclipse, these clouds made the once clear sky quite hazy, even hiding many bright stars. To photograph this phenomenon two exposures were used, one for the bright, nearly uneclipsed Moon and one for the fainter corona.

It should be pointed out that the lunar disk's color and brightness gradient during the eclipse are functions of the eye, camera, environmental conditions, and processing methods. Thus, eclipse images are often slightly different for different observers and photographers.

Photo Details: APO Refractor Telescope; Canon DSLR EOS 5D II camera; Tele Vue-76 lens; 76mm; f/6.3. Various exposures: two exposures for the Moon with corona; one for the Moon and one for the corona. Processing with Corel Paintshop Pro and Microsoft PowerPoint. Images trimmed from originals.

Suburbs of Gainesville, Florida Coordinates: 29.5686, -82.4376

Related Links:
Colors of a Total Lunar Eclipse
The Moon & Eclipses